Shenandoah Drops Heartbreaker

WINCHESTER, Va. - Shenandoah University saw Randolph-Macon score 11 points in a 93-second span Saturday afternoon to steal a 27-24 ODAC football victory over the Hornets.

Shenandoah (1-7, 0-5 ODAC) held a 24-16 lead after senior Qiydaar Murphy hauled in a 33-yard TD pass from Corey Taylor, but Macon (5-3, 3-2) had an answer.

Will McGhee capped a five-play, 70-yard drive with a nine-yard TD run at the 1:34 mark, and after SU threw an interception on its ensuing possession, Josh Storm kicked a 20-yard field goal with one second remaining to win it for the 'Jackets.

Randolph-Macon had missed a pair of field goals, from 42 and 33 yards, prior to Storm hitting the kick from the right hash.

Following McGhee's TD run, Macon QB Zach Naccarato hit Zach Midulla with a successful two-point conversion - Midulla snatched the ball just before a Hornets defender could make a play on it and then fell into the end zone with the game-tying points.

The 'Jackets needed the late game heroics as SU led 17-3 at halftime thanks to Taylor's arm and legs. Taylor opened the game with an 80-yard TD strike to classmate David Bell and after R-MC had cut the deficit to 7-3, ran for a 15-yard score on a 4th and 2 on the first play of the second quarter.

Macon scored two consecutive touchdowns, missing the PAT on the second, to make the score 17-16 with 7:36 remaining.

Shenandoah then went 64 yards in eight plays, capped by the Murphy TD catch, to take the eight-point advantage.

Macon finished the game with 449 yards in total offense to the Hornets' 357. Taylor was 10 for 19 for 279 before sitting out the fateful final drive with an injury.

Murphy had 169 yards receiving on six catches with Bell chipping in 114 on three.

McGhee had 158 yards rushing on 22 carries for the Yellow Jackets.

SU begins a two-game road trip to finish the season next Saturday at Emory & Henry.